


Lock the Door

by voleuse



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-28
Updated: 2005-08-28
Packaged: 2017-10-04 10:29:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voleuse/pseuds/voleuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>Everyone's pain has a different smell</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lock the Door

**Author's Note:**

> Pre-series, no spoilers. Title and summary adapted from Craig Raine's _A Martian Sends a Postcard Home_.

The morning after, Wash clambers up the ladder of Zoe's hatch wearing nothing but a T-shirt and boxers.

Mal is standing in the corridor, with folded arms and a face like thunder.

Wash manages not to fall back down the ladder, though he stumbles a little before steadying himself against the wall.

"Captain."

"Morning." Mal smiles, a grim quirk at the corner of his mouth.

Wash does not twitch under Mal's stare, not through the entire, silent three minutes.

Finally, Mal spins on his heel and stalks away.

Wash, reflexively, slumps back and hits his head against the wall.

*

 

Wash asks her seven times, and she turns him down with a smile each time.

He's halfway through the eighth proposal, and she cuts him off with a kiss.

"I didn't think you'd ever say yes," he says, after an interval.

She grins, trails her hand over his chest. "I wanted to make sure you meant it."

He looks her in the eye and sees that she's serious, so he kisses her again.

*

 

They land on Greenleaf without incident. Wash stretches, twists, and yawns. Thinks he needs a drink, so he slides down the railing, makes his way to the mess.

He hears them arguing from the other side of the hall, and he pauses.

The captain's voice is sharp and high, a signal that he's well and truly angry.

Zoe's voice, Wash can barely hear, but it's cold and implacable and sends a shiver over his skin.

Far as he can tell, they're not going to be done with this anytime soon, so he backs away slowly, and heads back to the bridge.

*

 

Wash doesn't expect them back until evening, so when Mal appears in the hangar bay, he's taken off guard.

"Hey, Mal," he says, and goes back to inventory.

Mal stands beside him, watches him check things off.

"It's a bad idea," Mal bites out. "You and Zoe."

Wash stops, stares straight ahead.

"There's all sorts of things you don't know about what we went through," Mal continues, "what Zoe went through, and it's a bad idea."

Wash grits his teeth, grinds them together. "Is that an order, Mal?"

Mal pauses, then pauses again.

And then he's gone.

*

 

Dinner that night is peppered with awkward silences and too-loud laughter.

During a conversational lull, Mal leaves the table to get more water.

Wash takes Zoe's hand, under the table, and presses a kiss against her cheek.

Her smile flashes at him, radiant, and she squeezes his hand back.

Wash, dazzled, looks away and sees Mal watching them. The look on his face is solemn, and a little surprised.

Wash raises his eyebrows, tilts his head.

Mal catches the gesture, turns his head to watch Zoe, who's dropped her head against Wash's shoulder, a quick and affectionate caress.

He meets Wash's gaze again, and nods slowly.

When he returns to the table, he clears his throat and raises his glass.

"To Wash and Zoe," Mal toasts.

Zoe's fingers twitch against Wash's, and he lifts her hand to his lips.

They lift their cups and celebrate.


End file.
